IFPTE Applauds Findings of Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger that Firings of Six Probationary Workers Without Cause Violate Federal Law
WASHINGTON, DC - On February 24, 2025, the Office of Special Counsel, led by Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger, found that President Trump’s firing of probationary employees at six different agencies was unlawful and requested that the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) reinstate the affected employees. The following day, the MSPB stayed the firing decisions for 45 days pending an investigation. IFPTE applauds the findings of Special Counsel Dellinger and encourages any actions seeking to expand this relief to the broader group of thousands of similarly situated employees in the federal workforce. The six workers are employees at the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, Education, Energy, Agriculture, and the Office of Personnel Management.
On February 7, President Trump unlawfully terminated Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger from his five-year term heading the Office of Special Counsel, an independent federal watchdog agency. Special Counsel Dellinger sued in federal court and was granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) regarding his termination by the U.S. District Court in D.C. pending a hearing on the temporary injunction. Significantly, on February 21, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to overturn the lower court’s TRO.
The Office of Special Counsel helps safeguard the federal civil service merit system by protecting federal employees and applicants from prohibited personnel practices, especially retaliation for whistleblowing. The Special Counsel and OSC also investigate possible wrongdoing disclosed by whistleblowers and enforce the Hatch Act, which restricts certain kinds of partisan political activity by government employees. OSC also protects the civilian employment and reemployment rights of military service members.
IFPTE applauds Special Counsel Dellinger for his determination and commitment to protect federal civil servants and uphold the law.
Across the United States and Canada, IFPTE represents 90,000 highly skilled workers in the federal, public, and private sectors. IFPTE is an affiliate of the AFL-CIO and the Canadian Labour Congress.
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